Draft attachment.



0. JOHNSON.

DRAFT ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION rum) MAR.14,1914.

1,099,604,, Patented June 9, 1914.

4 v5 5, X a 7251 a moem cow 0 La:-- JoHNsoN m w. Q. \Z W WI UNITED PATENT OFFICE.

OLA]? JOHNSON, OF STANLEY, NORTH DAKOTA.

DRAFT ATTACHMENT.

To (IZZ ea /mm it may concern Be it known that l, OLAF JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stanley, in the county of lvlountrail and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft Attachments, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved draft attachment for vehicles and broadly stated has for its principal object to provide an improved construction of auxiliary lead pole or tongue and means for connect ing the same to the main draft pole of the vehicle, whereby the lead draft animals assume their proper share of the burden when the vehicle descends a hill.

The invention has for another and more particular object to provide an auxiliary forwardly extending tongue or pole mounted at its rear end upon the upper end of a wheel supported standard, a double tree mounted upon said standard for the connection of lead animals thereto, a main draft tongue disposed above the plane of said auxiliary tongue or pole, and means for slidably connecting said main tongue to the auxiliary draft tongue.

My invention has for still another object to generally improve and simplify the construction of draft attachments of the above character to render the same very eflicient and reliable in practical use, and capable of manufacture at a relatively small cost.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation of a draft attachment embodying my invention in its preferred form. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. f is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail. to the drawing, 5 indi cates the main draft pole or tongue of the vehicle and 6 indicates the forwardly extend ing auxiliary or lead tongue. This latter tongue is fixed at its rear end to the upper end of a standard 7, and said tongue is braced from Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 14, 1914.

Patented J une 9, 1914...

Serial No. 824,701.

the standard by means of the inclined brace bar 8. To opposite sides of the standard 7 at its lower end plates S) are fixed, said plates projecting below the end of the standard. Between the projecting lower ends of the plates 9 an axle 10 is fulcrumed intermediate of its ends upon a bolt 11 which is mounted in said plates. Supporting wheels l2 are journaled upon opposite ends of this axle. Short link chains 13 are connected to said axle adjacent its opposite ends, the respective chains being suitably secured at its other ends to opposite sides of the standard 7. These chains while permitting of an oscillating movement of the axle 10 when the wheels 12 encounter obstructions, operate to maintain the standard 7 in a perpendicular position and prevent the same from falling to either side of the center of the axle.

Upon the forward side of the standard 7 adjacent the upper end thereof the double tree let is mounted to which the lead horses are adapted to be connected. A rod 15 is also connected to said standard and extends rearwardly therefrom and is suitably connected to the front vehicle axle.

It will be observed that the main vehicle pole or tongue 5 is disposed above the plane of the auxiliary lead pole G and to the forward end of the tongue 5 a forwardly ex tending bar 16 is secured. The rear end of this bar extends beneath the tongue 5 and is rigidly held against movement relative to said tongue by means of the sectional clamp ing members indicated at 17 and clearly shown in Fig. l: of the drawings. A slide rod 18 disposed below the bar 16 in spaced parallel relation thereto. The ends of this slide rod are upwardly extended and secured in the bar 16, as shown at 19. In the rear end of the auxiliary lea d pole 6 a bolt 20 is fixed, said bolt projecting above the pole, and being provided with an eye 21 in which the slide rod 18 is loosely mounted. A bolt 22 is also fixed in the forwardly extending bar 16 which is secured to the main draft tongue 5 and is provided. upon its upper end with a ring or eye 23 to which. the hame straps of the rear draft animals are adapted to be connected.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanying dran ing, it will he understood that when the rear and lead horses have been arranged in po sition upon opposite sides of the tongues or poles 5 and 6 and properly connected thereto, the double tree of the lead horses is supported at such an elevation that the rear horse cannot step upon the same and become entangled therewith. When the vehicle is descending the hill or other incline, or is turned at the end of a field when the device is used in connection with a plow, or agricultural machine, the back pressure by the rear animals against the vehicle causes the rod 18 to slide rearwardly through the eye 21, and the back pressure of the lead horses also causes the auxiliary pole 6 to move with respect to the main tongue or pole 5. Thus the lead and rear horses move back independently of each other so that they will each assume their proper share of the burden of the Vehicle. In this manner it will be appreciated that I have devised a very simple and efficient attachment for vehicles, whereby the draft upon the animals drawing a heavily loaded vehicle may be equalized.

The device as a whole is very durable in its construction, and owing to the very simple form of the several parts it will be obvious that the same may be manufactured at aminimum cost.

The auxiliary lead tongue may be very easily and quickly connected to or disconnected from the main draft tongue 5 by means of the clamping bolts 17.

It will of course be understood that my invention is susceptible of considerable modification in the form, proportion and arrangement of the several elements employed, and I therefore reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes as may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. In a draft attachment the combination of a main draft tongue, an auxiliary draft tongue, a standard to the upper end of which said auxiliary tongue is secured, said latter tongue being disposed forwardly and below the plane of said main draft tongue, supporting wheels mounted upon the lower end of said standard, a double tree mounted upon said standard adjacent its upper end, a longitudinally slidable rod mounted upon said auxiliary tongue, and means for detachably connecting said rod to the forward end of the main draft tongue.

2. In a draft attachment, the combination of a main draft tongue, a forwardly extendmg auxiliary draft tongue disposed below the plane of the main draft tongue, a standard to the upper end of which said auxiliary tongue is secured, supporting wheels mounted upon the lower end of said standard, a double tree mounted upon said standard adjacent its upper end, a forwardly extending bar removably secured at its rear end to said main draft tongue, a longitudinal slide rod disposed beneath said bar, in parallel relation thereto, and having its extremities vertically disposed and fixed in said bar, and an eye bolt fixed in the auxiliary tongue adjacent its rear end and loosely receiving the said slide rod.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

OLAF JOHNSON. Witnesses M. E. HANSON, GABE THOMPSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

